Bengtie, I'm really not a villain!

At that moment, Jingye casually punished Raiden Mei, who had become so easily agitated, making a sound like clapping, which startled Raiden Mei, causing her to tremble twice more.

Then Jing Ye cleared his throat and apologized to the person outside the door.

"I apologize, Madam, but it is not convenient to open the door at this time. I am taking a bath in the courtyard."

As soon as these words were spoken, the courtyard fell silent.

Although Raiden Mei's mother was puzzled by the "clapping" sound coming from the other side of the door, feeling it sounded more like dough being slapped, she was distracted by Jingye's explanation.

Raiden Mei's mother's face flushed slightly. She subconsciously bit her lower lip, letting out a soft spit, her eyes clearly revealing:

"This Jingye is so outrageous! He takes a bath in the courtyard and even refuses to let me, his elder, in. What kind of behavior is this!"

Raiden Mei's mother stood outside the door, her body trembling slightly, both from embarrassment and because she felt the matter was too outrageous.

However, Raiden Mei's mother had no idea that the man she despised in her heart, Jingye, was the mysterious swordsmith she had long admired.

The great miracle in Raiden Mei's mother's eyes, the swordsmith who helped Raiden Mei and the Raiden clan become even more prosperous and famous in Izumo Province, was just a door away from her.

After all, Jing Ye always kept a low profile and never showed off his skills. Even Raiden Mei was unaware of his superb forging techniques.

He wielded the knife with an air of mystery, and only a very few people knew how to trade with him. How could Raiden Mei's mother possibly know?

After a brief moment of embarrassment and anger, Raiden Mei's mother calmed herself down and spoke again, her tone serious and firm:

“Jingye, as you know, Raiden Mei now carries the honor of the Raiden clan and even the Izumo Kingdom.”

She paused, then emphasized her words:

"You should avoid getting too involved with her in the future, lest it affect her reputation and future."

Raiden Mei's mother's voice could be clearly heard through the closed door into the courtyard.

Without a doubt, Raiden Mei's mother specifically sought out Keiya for Raiden Mei's future.

This was bound to happen sooner or later, and both Jingye and Raiden Mei knew it perfectly well.

However, Raiden Mei's mother just happened to choose a very "appropriate" time.

Raiden Mei, who was enduring the torment of training inside the room, was taken aback when she heard this.

A complex emotion flashed in Raiden Mei's eyes, a mixture of helplessness at her mother's words and a hint of worry for Jingye.

She subconsciously looked at Jing Ye, only to see that Jing Ye's expression was calm, as before.

Clearly, Raiden Mei's mother's statement was not a problem for him at all.

After all, it was Raiden Mei who took the initiative to find him from beginning to end; he didn't intentionally involve Raiden Mei...

Even when he drugged and knocked out Raiden Mei, she came to him of her own accord.

However, to Jing Ye's surprise, Raiden Mei's mother brought unexpected, and somewhat informative, news—

Raiden Mei's mother has brought news of "Kiana" from the underworld.

"Himeko has found Mei a new and suitable apprentice, so you shouldn't waste Mei's resources any longer."

"That girl named Furibas is more suitable for Mei's tutelage than you."

To Raiden Mei's astonishment and to Jing Ye's delight, news of "Kiana," also known as Furibas, arrived at this moment.

Chapter 101 Mother's Premise

"Himeko has found Mei a new and suitable apprentice, so you shouldn't waste Mei's resources any longer."

To Jingye's surprise, Raiden Mei's mother's arrival was not just part of the process of him and Jingye practicing Iaijutsu, but there was something even more interesting about it.

"That girl named Furibas is more suitable for Mei's tutelage than you."

Raiden Mei's mother didn't seem to have any intention of completely ruining things; at least she gave Jingye a little face and found another way out.

At least she used the excuse of being "Raiden Mei's new disciple" to ask Keiya to stop getting entangled with Raiden Mei.

Although her words were already quite rude and offensive, and showed absolutely no respect for Jing Ye.

As for why that Furibas is more suitable for Raiden Mei, and even why he should be replaced...

Jing Ye was too lazy to ask, and there was no need to.

Ultimately, whether he is Raiden Mei's master or Raiden Mei is his master, you can just ask Raiden Mei herself.

Raiden Mei was secretly learning Iaijutsu from others while practicing it, and Jingye knew all of this clearly.

However, Jingye's intention was to make Raiden Mei stronger. In addition to the effects of the "Blade of Souls" stats, it's good that Raiden Mei can become stronger in this way.

Jingye was slightly surprised that Raiden Mei's talent could be used in this way, even stealing his skills while training in Iaijutsu.

It's clear that Raiden Mei's talent is indeed top-notch, but she's using it in strange ways.

Jing Ye considered that Raiden Mei, the daughter of the woman outside the door, was currently undergoing arduous training, and that this woman had also brought news of "Kiana," so Jing Ye decided to temporarily refrain from arguing with this young married woman.

What intrigued Jingye was that Huang Quan's "Kiana" must have been an unnamed traveler she encountered during her long journey through Huang Quan after the destruction of her world...

How could she possibly appear prematurely, just like Himeko?

While Himeko's appearance can be explained by the existence of counterparts in the world of Yomi, the appearance of Furibas is somewhat difficult to explain.

Previously, Jingye saw in the villain simulator's hints that "Kiana" would appear in advance, so he roughly guessed that she was a little girl named Furibas.

But when I actually heard it from Raiden Mei's mother, it was still somewhat hard to describe.

Jingye's gaze shifted to Raiden Mei, who was diligently using Iaijutsu in front of him. He wondered just how similar this "Kiana" was to the Kiana he knew.

In the story of the underworld, the little nameless guest, Furibas, had a brief encounter with the Orke Dragon, where purple-red snowflakes fell all over the long journey to the underworld.

In the story, the little nameless guest, while roasting marshmallows, excitedly told Huang Quan his wish:

"She's going to walk a path that's deeper and farther than Akivili's!"

At that time, Huang Quan was like Kiana after the Great Collapse, unable to taste sweet pepper curry. She was almost devoured by "nothingness" and lost her sense of taste. Yet, she would still praise the Orkelong Snowballs made by the other party.

The Yellow Springs, whose world has been swallowed by nothingness, has become indifferent, but it still gives that little nameless traveler a gentle emotional value.

But what followed... was a heartbreaking and helpless journey of despair.

The tiny, nameless traveler is determined to delve into the depths of the black hole of the ethereal star god "IX" and accomplish the pioneering feat that even Archivist could not achieve.

But clearly, her equipment was not enough to protect her from the encroachment of the "Void" shadow, and she was soon lost in the lonely and cold darkness.

Fribas's "death" represents a universal, objective fate for humanity, and Huang Quan raises this question once again—

"If you knew the predetermined destination from the very beginning of your journey, would you still embark on this trip?"

Just like the stories I once heard during the Honkai Impact 3rd, knowing that a fall is inevitable at the end of a flight, then—

Why do birds fly?

And extending this to the world Jing Ye currently inhabits, this world of the Underworld...

Knowing from the outset that the path to salvation does not exist, and that tomorrow holds no trace, that betting everything would only result in the destruction of two worlds, then—

Why does Izumo need to forge swords?

Why did he forge the knife?

Jing Ye knew all along that the world of Huangquan would eventually be destroyed by the Void Star God, so why did he still choose to act in this world?

Jingye stared at the trembling Raiden Mei in front of him. He couldn't help but laugh at the thought of the world ending and only her left, almost paralyzed by his iaido attacks.

Raiden Mei, who was diligently training in Iaijutsu, was surprised and puzzled when she heard that her mother had found her a new disciple.

Raiden Mei didn't know what the name "Furibas" meant, but she had a vague feeling that it wasn't so simple.

Because she noticed many unprecedented changes in Jing Ye's expression.

Whether it was doubt, surprise, or a hint of delight and profound meaning...

And what made Raiden Mei even more uneasy was the malice directed at her, which seemed to be brewing some kind of plan.

Raiden Mei had a vague feeling that the girl named "Furibas" might cause something even more devastating to happen...

After practicing Iaijutsu with Keiya, Raiden Mei felt increasingly able to anticipate Keiya's thoughts, which made her even more uneasy...

However, Raiden Mei's anxiety quickly dissipated, because now was not the time to be anxious about such a distant future.

Jingye reminded Raiden Mei that what she should be worried about now is how to suppress her breathing and vocalizations when practicing Iaijutsu.

The real concern for Raiden Mei right now is ensuring her mother outside the door doesn't notice her.

"In that case, let this be the last time I ask Mei for her advice."

"Master, please."

As Jingye suddenly spoke up, he revealed to Raiden Mei that she was there, much to Raiden Mei's shock!

This is not quite the same process she just described. Shouldn't she have tried her best to hide her presence here until she finally couldn't hold back her breath and that's when it was exposed?

The early exposure of this news instantly shattered Raiden Mei's psychological defenses, leaving her feeling numb and almost collapsing to the ground!

In Raiden Mei's opinion, the timing of Jingye's exposure was extremely awkward.

He had just told Raiden Mei's mother that he was taking a bath, and now he's immediately starting a sparring match with Raiden Mei—

This just sounds really weird, doesn't it?

How is Raiden Mei supposed to explain this to Keiya?

Could it be that she just started sparring with Jing Ye, who hadn't even finished showering yet?

However, the problem now is that the initiative is no longer in Raiden Mei's hands. Even if she doesn't want to be exposed like this, Jingye doesn't give her a chance to struggle at all.

Jingye has now resumed his Iaijutsu practice, completely ignoring Raiden Mei's life or death.

After all, the battlefield is much more brutal. Do you think the enemy would wait until Raiden Mei is mentally prepared and then launch an attack when she's in a comfortable and desirable situation?

Now is the perfect time to push Raiden Mei's mental and physical limits.

As expected, Raiden Mei's mother, who was outside the door, was stunned when she heard Jingye's words, but quickly reacted and showed a furious expression!

"Mei? What are you doing here? Come back with me right now!"

Raiden Mei's mother had long known that Raiden Mei and Jingye met frequently, and had grown accustomed to the last vestiges of her child's willfulness.

But things are different now. Mei is now a big celebrity in Izumo, admired by thousands, and her every move is under the spotlight.

Not only in their village, but throughout the entire Izumo Kingdom, Raiden Mei is revered as a great figure. Raiden Mei even seems to have the potential to become the youngest "Guardian of the River of Oblivion" in the Izumo Kingdom.

Jing Ye was just an unknown nobody, and the two were worlds apart in status. If people found out that they were still in the same courtyard in the middle of the night, wouldn't Mei's reputation be ruined...?

The more she thought about it, the more she felt it wouldn't do, and she shouted angrily at the door:

"Mei, what are you doing in there? Come back with me!"

Raiden Mei's mother's voice, filled with unquestionable authority, pierced through the door.

However, Raiden Mei has not responded to her mother's request.

She could read Jing Ye's meaning in his serious and earnest eyes; he was clearly telling her not to harbor any illusions and think that the enemy could always satisfy her whims.

This unexpected situation presents her with the perfect opportunity to exercise both her mind and body.

Whether she can use all the Iaijutsu techniques she learned from Jingye in this sudden battle will determine whether she can remain calm in the face of unexpected situations on the battlefield!

Instead, taking advantage of the moment Jing Ye got into position, he took a deep breath—

"Since this is the last time... then I won't hold back."

"Get ready, Jingye."

Raiden Mei tried her best to keep her voice very calm, making it seem as if she was genuinely instructing Keiya.

After all, it's impossible for her to open the door and go with her mother now. Wouldn't that let her mother see what kind of Iaijutsu she's actually practicing with Jingye?

Now that Jingye has exposed her presence here, the door, which her mother could force open at any moment, has become a Damocles' sword hanging over Raiden Mei's head.

This made Raiden Mei even more uneasy, and also greatly increased the difficulty for her to try to hold back her voice—

Although from the very beginning, Jingye had no intention of letting Raiden Mei keep quiet or letting her mother find out.

After all, it was Raiden Mei herself who said that she was to be confined to the vicinity of the gate and accidentally make noise while practicing Iaijutsu.

Raiden Mei's mother said not to let him waste Raiden Mei's "master" title and her resources, but it's really hard to say who is teaching whom now.

The evening breeze ruffled Raiden Mei's hair. She took a deep breath and got into position.